In Pursuit of Bad Luck
by Supreme Distraction
Summary: Bad luck is purely coincidental. It can happen to anyone anywhere at any time and it can't be prevented any more than one can control the changing of the seasons. Jinx knows this to be all too true and, when her powers surge out of hand, finding a way to restore their balance becomes a little... chaotic.
1. Prologue

Feeling a bit under the weather, guys. Still, the fandom expansion continues-now at a slightly slower rate.

Thanks go to **GrimGrave **for beta-ing this :3

**Disclaimer: **Do not own. Blah.

**-In Pursuit of Bad Luck-**

In the middle of a bay on a small, rocky island stood a tall, T-shaped tower. Now this in itself was unusual, but even more so were the building's inhabitants: four super-powered teens and their not-so-super-powered leader.

They called themselves, adequately enough, the Teen Titans.

There was...

... Beast Boy, the changeling. His incredible ability to take on any animal form that he wished made him a formidable foe in combat. He possessed a heart of gold, earnestly trusting in the good in people and wearing his heart on his sleeve. He also happened to be a vegetarian—likely due to the fact that he had been in the shoes of many of the creatures unfortunate enough to end up on a plate-much to the confusion of his best friend and tower-mate—

-Cyborg who, as his name suggested, was primarily composed of cybernetics. He was a genius, naturally talented in all things hands-on—especially when it came to technology. He was without a doubt a carnivore (top of the food chain, baby!)... thus creating a huge argument with his green ally every meal without fail. The signature Sonic Cannon built into his arm was of his own design-as was all of the technology that the team used to fight crime and keep their stronghold, well, strong.

... Robin, their enigmatic leader. Former sidekick of the legendary Batman, Robin was well-versed in all forms of hand-to-hand combat. It was he who benefitted the most from Cyborg's tinkering—his utility belt was stocked with all manner of hand-made, high tech gear. More often than not the young man kept to himself, though he was far from unfriendly.

... Starfire, the alien girl hailing from the distant planet of Tamaran. She was still learning the ways of the world and the strangeness of the human race with the help of her newfound friends and she was prone to odd behaviors and even odder statements. Still, she was one of the kindest most warm-hearted people one could meet and she was tame as a kitten despite her super strength and the ability to shoot Starbolts-bolts of energy imbued with the power of the stars—from her hands and eyes. She was the exact opposite of her sister, Blackfire, but that's a story for another time.

Last, but certainly not least, there was Raven, the psychokinetic empath. She was-

_**BOOM!**_

The purplette's eyes snapped open and, for a moment, there were four of them, all glowing an unholy crimson. Then she blinked and there were two indigo orbs over which perfectly arched eyebrows drew together. The explosion hadn't disturbed her seated, floating position above her bed, but the noise had broken her concentrated state of meditation and that was a no-no.

An alarm wailed—a precursor to the coming chaos—and the girl sighed, levitating across the room to her door and unfolding long legs before lowering herself gently to the carpet. As she reached for the access panel to the thick metal door, it slid open and a lanky, green-skinned teenager nearly crashed into her.

"Raven! Come quick-it's H.I.V.E!"

_'Great...'_

* * *

H.I.V.E—or the _Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination—_had a penchant for wreaking havoc on Jump City—from burglary to hostage exchange to the desecration and destruction of city landmarks, they had done it all.

This time, it appeared their target was the Titan Tower, however, and if the urgency with which the security system was wailing was anything to go by, they were doing an excellent job of creating mayhem.

In fact—

Raven whirled away just as a hulking teen badly in need of a haircut smashed through the wall nearest her, belting out a war cry and continuing through another wall as though the thick concrete construction was mere cardboard.

She sighed and followed slowly in his wake, righting things with inky tendrils of her power as she went. The empath already had a pretty good idea of who their guests were and the best way to get rid of them.

They called themselves the H.I.V.E Five—a criminal organization bent on the destruction (not to mention disturbance) of all super hero groups. And, despite their name, there were essentially only three troublemakers at the heart of it all with the occasional guest appearance from another villain or villainess:

The boy who had just stampeded passed was known simply as Mammoth. He possessed super strength and a tolerance for pain that would make the average person cry and was thus the brute force of the team. He and Beastboy were usually butting heads (no, seriously) at this point, but the changeling was screaming and high-tailing it away from a midget held aloft by what appeared to be the metallic legs of an arachnid.

"Gizmo," as he was called, was second only to Cyborg when it came to technological know-how. The brilliant mind within the shell of that big, bald head of his fueled an even bigger mouth that was prone to-

"C'mon, you mother fucking pussy! Fight me and die like the little shit you are!"

"NO!"

-violent episodes of swearing that would make the saltiest of pirates blush.

The empath sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, her powers lifting the hood of the blue cloak she usually wore up over her head as if to comfort her. "Let's get this over with," she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest as she strode passed Mammoth sitting on Robin, guffawing at Starfire's attempts to lift him (the laughter quickly stopped when she socked him right in the jaw and right through floor above them), and into the kitchen.

There, the third and final "house guest" was...

...

...

...

"... You're drinking my tea."

A tall, thin girl with shockingly pink hair twisted into two gravity-defying horns was sitting at the round kitchen table, booted feet propped up comfortably as she sipped from a tea cup that was part of a priceless set Raven had been given during their last trip to the aboriginal mountains of China. She smiled serenely. "You've actually got pretty good taste, Emo Kid."

She wasn't quite sure how to respond to that.

The Titan bristled. "Why are you here, Jinx?"

Wild pink eyes with narrowed, cat-like pupils flicked to the purplette and Jinx took her time draining the final dregs of the herbal brew in her cup before responding, "Weeeeeeellllllllll..."

A heartbeat later, she was somersaulting out of the way of a bolt of inky black energy that came hurtling at her as a result of her impromptu hostess losing patience. Without missing a beat, she twirled elegantly, her own chaotic powers lashing out in a bolt of fuchsia to deflect the cloud of sharp silverware that was lobbed in her direction.

"Get out."

"Are you always this pleasant with your guests?"

The answer to that question came in the form of thick chords of dark energy wrapping around the hexer's wrists, pinning her to the far wall with bruising force.

"Heh... Don't suppose you'll consider letting me have a do-over?"

Raven scoffed and one of the cupboards lining the walls opened, a new teacup emerging from it and floating over to where the teapot was sitting on the table. It dispensed steaming, sweet-smelling tea and vessel went to its owner, who sipped delicately from it.

"Not bad." It was said quietly, under her breath, but the pinkette heard it nonetheless.

"Whoa, was I just complimented by _the_ Raven? The Mistress of Sullen?"

The coils tightened and Jinx found herself sailing through the air and into what appeared to be a gym of some sort; she bounced a few times on the scuffed linoleum floor before coming to a halt beside a giant... sparring robot?

She grinned, her powers stirring, and the behemoth rose to its feet, boxing gloved hands held up in front of its thick torso. The moment the empath came hovering through the doorway; she was grabbed and smashed through the nearest wall, leaving a trail of broken workout equipment in her wake. Raven wasn't down for long and she came lunging out of the newly-created gap, her eyes glowing an unearthly white—

The hexer released a startled yelp, raising her arms instinctively to shield herself from the caster's rage and her powers responded of their own volition, flooding the room with a wash of neon pink that forcibly ejected the purplette from her home through the newly created exit in the ceiling.

…

'_Whoops!'_

Jinx shaded wild eyes from the sunlight streaming in, smirking and remarking, "I've always wanted a sun roof." Her attention went to the doorway where her partners-in-crime now stood. "What?"

"Damn, Jinx, that demon chick is going to be mad as fuck when she comes roaring back in here to tear you a new asshole."

She grimaced at Gizmo's colourful language, but she disregarded it in favor of asking Mammoth, "Did you take care of the love birds?"

He nodded. "Out like a light."

"And the dynamic duo of idiocy?"

"Yeah, yeah. Don't treat me like a fuckin' kid. I took care of 'em."

This… was actually working. The pinkette grinned and the lights dimmed, their power sources crackling ominously.

"Okay, give me five minutes to do my thing. Thing you can handle her if she comes back?"

"Yup."

"Would ya hurry it up so we can get out of this dump?"

Jinx headed back through the kitchen and into the living room where the loft leading to the Titans' rooms waited. As she passed the dining table, the tea cup she had been using—and really the only thing left whole amongst the wreckage—cracked neatly in half with a fizzle of fuchsia.

**Plan Alpha is a go.**


	2. Finding Myself

Gonna change things up and have this fic alternate POV between Jinx and Raven... Kind of like I did for _Yearning for Change. _Let's get this show on the road!

**-Finding Myself-**

Bad luck is purely coincidental. It can happen to anyone anywhere at any time and it can't be prevented any more than one can control the changing of the seasons.

That being said, I have absolutely no control over my powers. If anything, I'm merely a conduit-housing all this pent up misfortune until it spills forth in the most spectacular of ways.

It's always been like that...

/_"And this young lady's name is Jinx. Say hello to Mrs and Mr Cohen, dear. They might be your new mommy and daddy." Quietly, as though I wouldn't be able to hear her, the adoption agency head explains, "We've been having trouble finding her a home-even for a meta-human."_

'_Meta-human'... More often than not, that phrase is followed by a terrified look._

_Well, that or disgust._

_The elderly woman smiles at me and I meet her gaze boldly, holding my blank expression. _

_I know this to be routine: come in, see freak, give freak false hope, abandonment._

_I'm only 6 years old and yet oh-so jaded._

_"Jinx, was it?"_

_The man is watching his wife interact with me, his back straight and his stance tense. He seems to disagree with her interest, but kind blue eyes are focused on me and me alone._

_After a moment's hesitation, I nod._

_"How would you like to come home with us?"_

_"Gloria-"_

_"This girl needs a loving home, Frank."_

_Her tone brooks no argument and, when his shoulders sink, some unfamiliar warmth rises in my breast._

_I didn't have a name for it then, but I know now that it was hope._

_Before I can even think to respond, I feel the fine hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and I take a hurried step back._

_"Jinx?"_

_Not now..._

_Strands of neon pink wind through the air around me, making the air hum with power. I can _

_feel the heat of it behind my eyes and, when I snap them shut so that Gloria won't be scared off by the glow that suffuses them, I'm presented with a mental image of the bad luck I would be plaguing the couple with and my stomach heaves viciously._

_No... Not now...!_

_"Jinx."_

_I whimper and take another step backwards, fighting the inevitable as best I can—/_

**"Jinx!" **

My eyes flip open and I instinctively grab whoever had been calling me by the throat, unusually—_unnaturally_—sharp nails threatening to tear through soft skin.

"The fuck did_ I_ do?!"

Gizmo... It's only Gizmo.

My heart's doing its best to hammer its way out of my chest, but I manage a disapproving frown. "What have I told you about coming into my room?"

"This isn't even your room, you crazy bimbo!"

... Right. Titan Tower. I'm on a mission.

With a scoff, I drop the egghead to the ground and recline on the plush black sheets of the circular bed in Raven's room. I guess I accidentally took a little catnap. "What do you want?"

"Mammoth found some grub. Thought I'd be a nice guy and see if you were hungry, but you had to go all psycho bitch on me." He reaches up and rubs his neck, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Better not have friggin left a mark..."

Wimp.

"I'll be right down." I could use a break.

The shadows in the gloomy Titan's room seem darker and more sinister, but somehow that makes me feel right at home. I want to uncover their secrets.

"Suit yerself." He casts one last look around the room, muttering, "Creepy as shit in here," before scampering out.

* * *

It won't be long before the Titans regroup and return to take back what's theirs and my search has gotten me nowhere.

I can sense my teammates' impatience (not to mention incredulity) as they watch me root around Raven's room from the doorway and it makes the air around me crackle and glisten.

_'Crap... Not this again...!'_

"Why're we still wasting time in this dump? We should just loot that dumbass's gear and get the fuck outta here."

"Don't touch anything else." Frustration makes my tone needlessly sharp and he scowls.

"Look, I just need to find what I'm looking for and we can go.'"

_'I know it's here... It has to be.'_

"I don't even know what we're looking for," Mammoth grunts, muscular arms folded over his chest. "Not saying I don't trust you, Jinx, but..."

An electric chill zips along my spine, but before I can even think to warn the others, a shockwave of pink blasts outwards, knocking over dusty tomes, ceremonial paraphernalia, and a number of other, breakable objects, and sending both boys smashing into the other side of the hallway.

Whoops.

I clear my throat, rising from my crouch and heading over to the doorway: Mammoth actually broke through the wall, revealing the inside of what appeared to be a... sauna?

Do-gooders always got the best stuff.

He's slouched over a tiled bench, a pained grunt leaving him as he straightens and Gizmo—

"What. The. Fuck."

—may or may not be furious.

"Are you o—"

"Don't you fucking dare ask that stupid ass question. Does it _look _like I'm okay?"

The backpack permanently strapped to his back is leaking a smoke trail, little sparks of electricity leaving what has likely become a mass of broken circuitry. He's limping as he comes towards me, but the pain doesn't dull the rage in his eyes one bit.

"I don't suppose "I'm sorry" will make you feel any better?"

"_GAH!_"

Yeah... I didn't think so.

Mammoth stirs. "You've been blowing up stuff like that all week. I think it's about time you told us what the hell's going on."

...

Sigh.

I hate relying on others. After being on my own for so long, I knew better than to trust—to ask for help or expect not to pay for the help I receive. In the end, it just isn't worth it.

"I may have a slight problem."

"This is more than a 'slight' fucking problem." Gizmo drags his sleeve across his nose, only to yelp. "You broke my goddamned nose!"

_'Whoops.' _"Not intentionally..."

"Mother fucker-!"

"Gizmo!" Mammoth barks. "Cool it. Let her talk."

I'm not about to repeat the horrible string of profanities that results from that command, but he does quiet.

I fidget. "Where to begin..." Stall stall stall. "So you know how my powers basically manifest themselves when, where, and however they want to?"

"Just fuckin' saw it first hand," Gizmo grumbles sourly

"Mm... That violent expulsion is going to keep happening until I figure out a way to burn off all this excess energy." As if to prove my point, my hands glow fuchsia and Gizmo and Mammoth flinch.

"Okaaaaaaay... What's that gotta do with the Teen Douchenozzles?"

"Intel says our dear friend Raven possesses a mirror that lets her communicate with her inner selves. I'm hoping to hijack it and figure out what's going on in here. It wasn't like this before."

"You believe in that mystical bullshit?"

I shrug. "She's the daughter of a demon. Anything's possible."

"Tch. Alright, so what does this magic mirror look like?"

I hold my hands about six inches apart. "About this big. Dark, ornate, spooky aura?"

Those must have been the magic words because a dark form stretches its way out of the wall, resembling a bird of prey for a moment before dissolving to reveal none other than speak-of- the-devil.

"You mean _this_?" she asks in a flat voice, pointing a glowing hand towards me.

Gizmo pales, his jaw dropping and I feel another chill go down my spine right before I flip neatly out of the way of a dozen flying ceremonial knives wrapped in inky darkness. I land, now facing the five other teenagers that had been so kind to join us and smile savagely at the way the usually stoic purplette can't seem to completely mask her ire. "Welcome back. I thought you'd gotten lost or something."

Mammoth and Gizmo come to stand behind me, the latter muttering ominously about murdering someone while the former cracks his knuckles

"We thought we'd give you a few more hours of freedom before we locked you away. For good," the "Boy Wonder" retorts, his cape fluttering heroically despite the total lack of air flow. His alien girlfriend beams, enraptured, and I roll my eyes.

Pathetic. If I ever get that lovey-dovey over someone, just shoot me.

Before this little rematch can even begin, my powers surge—this time, without warning—and the lights along the hall ceiling flicker ominously for a brief moment before we're plunged into total darkness.

There's a scream. A gasp. A whimper of fear. Then, silence. The room is awash with neon and the last thing I see before my reeling mind shuts down entirely is two pairs of glowing crimson eyes.

* * *

When I wake up, I have no recollection of what had occurred immediately before my little nap.

Such a thing happens more than I would like, honestly.

I sit up, temples throbbing...

'_What the...'_

I'm in some sort of lush meadow, far from anything that resembled the city streets I had grown up on. Other than the gentle gurgle of a stream I can't see from my current position, it's quiet. Peaceful.

Also, the sky is the pastel pink of cotton candy.

"You're awake... Finally."

There goes the peace.

I sigh and turn towards the speaker, only to double take. "Um..."

Since when did Raven have four freaky demonic eyes?

My head pounds as the sight of her triggers my memory, the rhythm a steady ache that resounds with my accelerated heartbeat; they narrow and a sharp pain in my stomach sends me flying and I bounce a few times before rolling to a halt in the warm grass.

"That's for earlier," Raven says flatly from above me.

"Well… I guess that makes sense."

She's eyeing me suspiciously—I know the weight of a gaze better than I know anything else. A lifetime of being the freak does that to you. "What does?"

"Have I died? Because this seems pretty nice for hell."

Blink. "What makes you think this is hell?"

"For one thing, you look like a demon. And I could see you dedicating your time to torturing me for all eternity."

That snort of laughter is both incredibly unexpected and unexpectedly... cute. "Don't flatter yourself. I'm here because you dragged me in here with you… Somehow."

How can that be? I don't even know where 'here' is. Out of the dozens of questions whirling around my head, that seems like a good place to start. "Where are we?"

"This is what you wanted, isn't it? We're in my mirror." She crosses her arms over her chest, eyebrows drawing together over—four!—glowing eyes. "... Which doesn't make any sense because I didn't want to come here and I can't seem to leave." She glances around. "Besides, it's entirely too quiet. My other selves are usually running about, but it seems to be deserted—"

"I beg your pardon?"

Raven's gaze slides past me to a spot just over my shoulder. "Uh..."

That's the first time I've heard something other than irritation or apathy in her voice and, when I whip around to see what all the fuss is about, my jaw actually drops.

Standing at the base of the grassy swell stands, well, _me_. I'm wearing a dark purple, floor-length dress (one of those fancy ones with the endless ruffles) and the tiny parasol in my hand just barely shades my face from the sun.

'Uh...' indeed. This was exactly what I had hoped would happen, but seeing it in reality…

Other Me smiles thinly. "It's far from deserted here, my dear." She turns her attention to me and it's like looking into a mirror. "I never thought I'd see _you _here."

As if meeting oneself was a normal occurrence.

"I... Honestly didn't think I'd see you either."

"How many of you are there?" Raven asks, to the point as ever.

"What, were you raised in a barn?" Other Me sniffs haughtily. "Why in the world would I give that information to the likes of you?"

Raven's eyes go from red to white, her clenched fists giving off an aura as black as pitch, and the ground beneath our feet trembles, little fuchsia sparks fizzling in the air.

The temperature plummets and I realize with a horrified sinking sensation in my stomach that this was the warning that my powers were going to manifest themselves I normally got in our world—only on a much larger scale.

Other Me's expression is unimpressed and a shockwave of pink knocks the empath into an undignified heap. Unlike me, she doesn't seem to have any problems controlling my hexes. "This is _my_ world, madam. I'd advise you to be on your best behavior."

I can't help but smirk when I see the purplette scowl just before she hunches her shoulders and draws her hood over her head and Other Me mirrors the expression.

This could be fun.

**-End Chapter-**

Loved it? Hated it? Let me know!


	3. Karma and Control

**-Karma and Control-**

I'm not sure why, but Jinx has always been a rather perplexing case to me. Every living being has a palette of emotions that they draw from—mixtures of happiness, sadness, and anger that make up more complex feelings. But not Jinx.

I'm not sure how, but the hexer is totally… _blank_. It's not that she doesn't experience emotions, but that the spectrum that she displays is completely different from anything I usually come into contact with. It's difficult to explain.

I'm also not sure what's worse: being inexplicably trapped within the confines of my own mind-my safe haven when the outside world gets too idiotic-or having to put up with not one, but _two_ quick-witted villainesses who have it out for me.

The verdict's still out on that one.

What I _do_ know is that I'm alone here and all I can rely on is my own wits to get out in one piece... Not that that's any different from how things usually are.

Jinx is talking amicably to her more elaborately dressed self, which is... strange. And that's coming from the daughter of a demon. Part of me is irritated by how easily the pink-haired nuisance takes everything into stride while the other part is honestly impressed.

I hadn't realized how potent her strange powers were until now, but I'd be paying special attention to them from here on.

Know thy enemy.

I flinch when an arm is thrown around my shoulder, eyes glowing an unearthly white from beneath my hood as I round on-

Another Jinx. This one has pink hair twisted into a long braid and her outfit, if it can be called that, consists of navy boxers and a thin white tank top.

She grins lazily. "Sup?"

Before I can even formulate the sarcasm for my response, the first Jinx snaps, "Would you behave yourself, Sloth?"

"Mmph." I'm released nonetheless... only to be tackled by another Jinx-this one about a head shorter than her original and dressed in a frilly skirt and a long-sleeved dress shirt, both of which are the most obnoxious shade of pink imaginable.

"Omigosh, it's Raven! We've heard sooooo much about you!"

Had they really?

Jinx (the original) mutters something under her breath and her prim and proper doppelganger sweeps the mini-me away with a wave of neon.

"The same goes for you, Happy."

"And you are?" I inquire curiously, not exactly seeing the link between her appearance and her roll in Jinx's psyche.

She smiles slightly. "Karma, my dear. I take on many forms, but this overly-complex one seems to be the flavour of the month." The hexer mutters something else and Karma's smile widens. "Then it's a good thing you have company to assist you, hm?"

"Company, yay!" Happy chirps. "I'll go get the others!"

"That won't be necessary." The pastel pink of the sky gives way to an almost crimson shade and Karma's expression becomes deadly serious. "We don't have much time. Raven, you're here because we need your help."

"No, we don't." Jinx doesn't meet our gazes—mine questioning and Karma's furious—as she crosses her arms over her chest. I don't need anyone's help."

"Are you listening to yourself?!" she thunders and the fine hairs at the nape of my neck stand on end. There's a shapeless form looming behind her, a dark shadow that twists and dances ominously. "Our very existence is in jeopardy, yet here you are being stubborn?!"

The shadow surges, coalescing into a towering, humanoid shape, and reaches towards Jinx with clawed fingers—

Without thinking, I tap into my powers, chanting, "Azerath… Metrion… Zinthos!" and creating a barrier around the hexer; the instant the creature comes into contact with it, its eyes glowing red, bolts of black crackle forth, tearing through the rosy atmosphere and sending fragments of sky raining down like glass.

'_Jinx!'_

* * *

When I come to, we're standing in the clutter that was once the Titans' living room and the very first thing Jinx does is make a run for it.

Naturally, I'm ready for her: tendrils of inky energy lash out, capturing the nimble criminal by her waist and lifting her up into the air.

"H-hey, is this completely necessary?"

At once, we're surrounded by my housemates... Who all decide to speak at once.

"Friend Raven, you have returned!"

"Raven!"

"See, man? I told you she'd be fine!"

"You've apprehended Jinx... Good work, Raven."

Before the Boy Wonder could further apprehend my, er, apprehended criminal, I jerk her out of his reach, squeezing a disapproving squeak out of the pinkette. When he gives me a suspicious look, I shrug nonchalantly.

"I need to have a talk with her before you have the justice department deal with her."

She scoffs. "You know we'll be out in no time, right?"

We all knew that—even the officers. By now, locking up metahumans was more a force of habit than anything.

"That's changing very soon." Robin's smirk is unsettling and Jinx frowns.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"They've increased security measures in _The_ _Penitentiary for Metahumans and Other Supernatural Beings_ with the help of Cy here."

Cyborg grins. "You and your boys are going away for a long, long time, baby! No hard feelings."

I'm the only one who can feel the sudden wave of unease that floods her, though her body language doesn't reveal anything as she rolls her eyes. "Please… You boys are all bark, no bite."

"You wanna say that again?"

I don't know what it is about her, but the mood in the room instantly goes sour, the sudden dip an unnaturally extreme reaction for such a simple barb. It's as though she's a conductor for negative emotion.

"Did I stutter?"

I lift a hand, intervening before the situation can get out of hand. "Enough. I'll give you a full report when I get back, Robin."

"… Fine."

Darkness wraps around us, taking on the form of a massive raven, and rendering us intangible as it phases through the wall and heads east. Over time, my control over my powers has grown and it's spells like this that make spending almost an entire year in my head worthwhile.

But that's a story for another time.

* * *

This place… A rocky projection from which a waterfall thunders into a naturally formed basin located just in the outskirts on Jump City.

I drop my passenger unceremoniously onto the earth, hovering beside her and closing my eyes reflectively.

I haven't been here since—

Wide blue eyes and blonde hair fill my mind and fragments of rock around me levitate into the air, surrounded by an inky aura. I don't typically let people in… And since _she _betrayed us allI haven't made that mistake again.

"Raven…?" I sense worry… And the way my chest constrict irritates me immensely.

There are several dull _'thud'_s as the cluster of pebbles return to their rightful place and I open my eyes, pinning the girl sitting near my feet with a dull glare. "What?"

The prick of concern I sensed bleeds out and she's back to being impossible to read. "Never mind. You wanted to talk to me?"

Right.

"Why were you trying find my mirror?"

"No reason."

"This would go a lot more smoothly if you actually cooperated. You're free to go once I've gotten the information I want."

"Who said I want things to go smoothly?" She smirks, crossing her legs at the ankles and tilting her head back to look up at me.

This is already off to a great start.

"Do me a favour and pretend."

"Hmm… What's in it for me?"

"How about I let you keep all of your limbs?"

Jinx arches an eyebrow, but the challenge evaporates from the expression the moment I grin, my teeth replaced by rows of jagged fangs; she pales when I lick my lips hungrily with a long, forked tongue.

"Holy—!"

I didn't often let Wrath—the source of my demonic traits—out, but now seems like an appropriate time.

"Am I clear?"

"… Crystal." I can tell by the iron in her spine that she doesn't appreciate being threatened (who does?), but there's no time to feel badly about it. That _thing _lurking in her psyche… Either she had somehow not seen it or she was in denial that it existed and _couldn't _see it as a result.

Whichever it was, that creature is extremely dangerous.

"Good. Where are the H.I.V.E Five hiding out right now?"

"…"

I can almost see the cogs in her mind turning, attempting to find a way out of giving away classified information and jeopardizing her teammates while also trying to avoid the consequences of failing to cooperate.

Her loyalty is oddly… _sweet _and it's with a healthy new amount of respect that I explain, "I need a way to reach you."

"Why…?"

Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to frighten her with the shapeless terror that was feeding off of her powers just yet. Right now, she was less than willing to listen to me and news like that would destroy any chance I had at understanding what was going on here.

"From what Karma tells me, your life is in danger."

"She was wrong."

I frown slightly, puzzled. Why is she being so pigheaded? It's as though she knows something I don't… "How are you so sure of that?"

"Just am." Something flickers in wild pink eyes. "Why do you care so much, anyway?"

There's no easy way to answer that. Why _does _this situation pique my interest so?

"You need my help, Jinx." Even though it isn't something I should be offering to one my teams' mortal enemies.

Her expression goes utterly blank in an instant, the convoluted twist of emotions behind that placid mask making my stomach roil in protest. "No, Raven, I don't."

The wind howls passed in the silence that follows and I heave a sigh. Jinx is stubborn and clever and fiercely independent. I'm not going to get to her treating her like a charity case, neither am I going to get very far by twisting her arm. Perhaps it's time for a different approach. "Fine. You're right."

"… Huh?" I can practically hear her think, _'that was easy…'_

I shrug. "You know what's best."

I sense the upsurge of misfortune before the girl even seems to be aware of it and wave my hand, making the air between us crackle and hiss with the repulsive forces—mine control and hers chaos.

'_Interesting...'_

Jinx's expression is stunned. "How did you..."

"Control." I clench my fingers and the light show desists immediately with a plume of smoke. "You lack it."

She tenses, sitting up a little straighter. "You can't control bad luck."

As if to prove her point, her eyes glow fuchsia and the mountainside trembles, her powers manifesting in the only way they know how—destructively.

I scoff, unimpressed. "Is that really what you believe?

"You don't understand."

_**No one does...**_

Her lips hadn't moved, but that had been her voice, clear as day; it reverberates powerfully, an echo within my mind, and my temples throb.

Whatever Jinx is feeling is incredibly potent-to the point that it eclipses all other emotions. I can't quite put my finger on it...

"... Where are you going?"

"You said I was free to go." There's a new edge to her voice. "Or did you have more pointless questions for me?"

I had, hadn't I?

Though it went against my better judgment, I nodded and watched as Jinx scampered off into the night. Robin would be furious, of course, but...

With a long, heartfelt sigh, I draw my hood up over my head, drawing some small comfort from its familiar weight.

She'll be back.

**-End Chapter-**


	4. So Much For Secrets

**-So Much For Secrets-**

My little chat with Raven leaves me unsettled to say the least.

I mean… What's her problem? Before this, she'd been a total wall—a sarcastic, blasé, unfeeling _wall_. I think the longest conversation we had before today was…

_/ "Drop it."_

'_Thud.' "Holy crap, you scared me half to death, Gloomy Gus!"_

_Her expression is unreadable and her tone equally so: "Darn… Only half?" /_

And then that cocky, spiky-haired moron tackled me to the ground and I was locked up for a total of three hours before Gizmo and Mammoth sprung me. Good times.

Now, all of a sudden, she's some sort of-of knight in shining armor with my best interests at heart?

I'm not buying it.

But enough about the do-gooder. It's time for a little breaking and entering.

…

_The Penitentiary for Metahumans and Other Supernatural Beings _lights up an entire block by itself, its perimeter surrounded by an impossibly high wall at the top of which barbed wire curled and some invisible sci-fi-esque force field thing that sends a nasty little jolt through anything that touches it.

I find that out the hard way.

With a little _luck_ it's child's play to disable the barrier, after which the wall is easily scaled and the barbed wire neatly vaulted over.

Where are all those improvements that that cybernetic jerk was bragging about?

That question is swiftly answered when I land in a crouch on the lawn: a little red warning flag goes off in the back of my mind and I tumble forwards, springing into a handstand and launching myself clear of the greenery just a breath before several metallic _'shik'_s indicate that the surface is no longer traversable.

I swear I've seen something like this in a movie before.

An alarm wails and I sigh, hustling towards the main building as the floodlights overhead sweep wildly over the grounds wildly, doing their best to try and blind me. In the distance, I can just barely make out shiny, indistinct shapes that are rapidly getting larger.

I think I make it to the prison yard before I'm surrounded by a squad of sleek, humanoid robo-guards.

"**Halt."**

"**You are under arrest."**

Yeah. Right.

Two of them lunge forward, reaching, and I slip under their long arms, leaping up and using one's broad shoulder as a launch pad to clear the rest of the inbound wave.

'_Well that wasn't so ba—'_

I skid to a halt before what had once been a flimsy bay door but was now a thick slab of steel hooked up to a complex-looking security system and sigh again, reaching up to push pink tendrils of hair out of my eyes.

I have a terrible habit of speaking too soon.

Without Gizmo here, hacking the door is out of the question and I lack Mammoth's incredible strength, so breaking in the good old fashioned way is out of the question. Leaving me with one option…

I turn back to face my cybernetic pursuers… and am presented with the muzzles of about a dozen loaded rifles.

'_Crap…!'_

There's a commotion overhead: the human officers that are manning the guard stations are laughing and making bets with each other as to how long I'll manage to resist arrest considering the way the odds are stacked against me.

They're about to find out that that odds have a weird way of shifting their favour.

Before the gun-toting machines can even get a bead on me, I'm darting into their ranks, smashing one's head in with a well-aimed roundhouse and appropriating its weapon, wielding it like a club and beheading another with a wild swing. The recoil from the strike reverberates through my very bones, but I grit my teeth and flip clear of a volley of bullets, my ears ringing from the loud, repetitive sound.

From high above I hear jeers and hoots of laughter and I snarl, baring my teeth much in the manner a cat does when sizing up its opponent; vaulting over another security bot, I begin to climb the long ladder of the guard tower, leaping down just as the firing squad raises their rifles and laughing manically as the heavy gunfire blows the building's base to smithereens and the laughter turns to screams of terror.

I've always been rather vindictive.

Unfortunately, I can only manage to move like this for so long before my muscles scream in protest, the constant tense and release creating an incredible strain. I can feel myself slowing down, much to my horror, and it seems my robotic opponents notice because their gunfire increases, their aim becoming more erratic as I leap and flip clear, taking out one or two of them at a time with well-timed hexes.

There seems to be no end to their numbers, however, and my efforts prove useless as I'm overtaken, surrounded by dozens of metallic forms and pinned down.

I'm unable to move and that makes me panic; my heart stutters, pounding loudly against the inside of my chest and my breathing, now short, quick inhales, makes my head swim.

'_No… I refuse to let it end this way!'_—and it's that thought that begins a series of waves of neon pink—my power manifests in huge tidal waves of karmic energy, much in the manner of the shockwaves of an earthquake.

And I am their epicenter.

The lights burn overly brightly and their bulbs shatter, raining down glittering fragments of glass, and the entire building groans, its foundation weakened by the sheer volume of misfortune that assaults it. The entire structure trembles, teetering powerfully, and, in an eye blink, the entire thing collapses, making the ground shake with enough force to throw me onto my backside on the hard ground, my head spinning and my throat constricting as I get a healthy lungful of dust.

Cue coughing fit.

All is still for a moment—it's as though the entire world has frozen in this very moment. When the dust settles (and I finally catch my breath), there are groans of pain and the aggressive, colourful language of a certain brainy midget. A huge pile of rubble shifts and Mammoth comes punching his way out, his entire body covered in a thick layer of white. He grunts and turns towards a second, smaller pile, hoisting a flailing Gizmo free of it. Neither of them seems to be hurt—this time.

… I think I may actually need Raven's help.

* * *

"I knew you'd be back."

I flinch, nearly losing my balance and plummeting to my death on the rocks below.

"Do you have to sneak up on my like that?"

Raven crosses her arms over her chest, expression unimpressed. "Do you have to break into the Tower instead of going through the front door like a normal person?"

I suppose pressed up against the outside of the Titan Tower, balancing on a pencil thin ledge isn't the best place to be discovered by… anyone. Especially not the owner of the room I'm lurking outside of.

The purplette sighs and reaches towards me, resting her hand on the window pane nearest my head and chanting, "Azarath… Metrion… Zinthos." As a result, the glass glows white and I fall through as though it doesn't exist, landing in a pile of limbs on the empath's floor.

"Hmph. You did that on purpose."

Her lips quirk at the edges and, for some reason, I feel victorious. "Maybe. Are you ready to stop being stubborn?"

My stubbornness rears its ugly head at her tone and I avert my gaze, struggling to get the responding surge of rebelliousness under control. I happen to catch a glimpse of the mysterious mirror I had been traipsing around not even 24 hours before and—

_/ "Jinx!"_

_Thunder cracks and fat rain drops begin to splatter against windows and the pavement. My name echoes across the deserted streets, a lonely cry against a desolate backdrop. _

_I whirl, desperately trying to catch sight of whoever is calling me. The voice is familiar and oh-so close, but I can't quite put my finger on it._

"_Jinx!"_

_I break into a run, the voice thundering in my ears:_

"_JINX! Answer me!"_

_I hook a sharp right and come to a corner created by three adjacent buildings only to gasp and raise a hand to my mouth._

_Reflected in the building's many windows isn't my reflection… But Raven's._

_I reach out, flinching as she does the same, and hesitate for a breath before touching the cool, wet surface._

_What is this?_

_My lungs fill with air, my chest expanding, and I shout again, "Jinx!"_

_Wait… I'm the one who's calling?_

_The building trembles and I take a step back just as the entire thing collapses in a plume of dust and sparkling bits of glass join the moisture in the air. They fall in slow motion, refracting rainbows onto the droplets as I catch sight of…_

_Myself?_

_I'm curled up on the soaked asphalt, clutching my head and rocking back and forth, muttering something under my breath._

"_Jinx…"_

_She—_I?—_looks up and, the instant wild eyes lock with mine, it's like I've been cemented to the ground. My heart pounds in my ears, my mind going utterly blank. A wild, terrifying grin spreads across her face and she gestures me—Raven?—closer._

_Without any input from my brain, my feet bring me forward, closer to the trickster. With every step, a huge, shadowy form coalesces behind her until, finally, I'm within reach and the creature is growling with enough force to make the ground shake._

_It reaches towards me with clawed fingers— /_

"_**JINX!"**_

Something within me twists violently and I lash out, catching my companion with a pure, concentrated blast of bad luck; the wave collides with a barrier as black as tar, creating a spectacular storm of sparks, and the lights overhead fizzle, flickering weakly.

The walls groan and Raven's eyes glow with an unholy light as she slams me into the wall, clapping her hand over my mouth and snapping, "Control it!"

It's only then that I realize that I'm screaming.

She extends her free hand, keeping my body pinned between hers and the wall, and a tendril of darkness extends, fetching the mirror from her bedside table and bringing it back to its mistress. The bluette flips it around, facing the reflective side towards me and I recoil, alarmed by the person I see there.

That can't be me. The girl in the mirror is covered in odd runes that run along fey features in an elegant swirl of glowing ink. My pupils, normally cat-like slits, are enormous and the whites are black as pitch.

A hand against my cheek halts my panicked train of thought and my attention snaps to the Titan: her expression is uncharacteristically concerned—eyebrows furrowed slightly, softness in dark eyes—and she lowers the mirror. "I need you to focus."

Focus? Easier said than done.

Still, I nod and she pats my cheek—a gentle slap to snap me out of the stupor I had sunk into. "Breathe."

The lump of panic in my throat makes it difficult, but I suck in a lungful of air, managing another and another as my brain registers the way my cells are screaming for oxygen.

Breathing helps. Breathing is good.

Breathing suddenly becomes much more difficult as Raven leans in, studying my features. "I need you to trust me, okay?"

"O-okay…" Meek, submissive—is that _my _voice?

"Azarath…"

Warmth floods my face and I'm pretty sure it's not solely from her powers.

"Metrion…"

It spreads, coiling in my chest and expanding outwards like rays of sunlight.

"Zinthos!"

The warmth becomes almost unbearable only to disappear in the next instant, leaving me bereft, and a disappointed whimper escapes my throat before I can stop it.

"Better?"

I can't handle the intensity of indigo orbs so I close my own. "Better. What just happened?"

"You tell me."

To be honest, I'm not sure how to answer that. What I had seen in that vision—what I had seen in the mirror—was terrifying and I'm not sure if I even _want _to know.

"Raven!" There are hurried footsteps a little ways down the hall and my eyes open just in time to see Beast Boy barge in through the metal door, his eyes wide with concern. "I heard screaming! What's going… On?"

She's still cupping my cheek, still way too close, and the boy does an impressive imitation of a tomato.

"I-I'm sorry!" he squeaks and I swear I catch a glimpse of a tail between his legs as he flees.

Raven sighs. "So much for keeping you a secret…" She backs off, leaving me feeling curiously cold. "Come downstairs. You might as well say 'hello' to the others, then we can get to the bottom of this."

The purplette floats out of the room without another word and I really have no other choice but to follow.

**-End Chapter-**


	5. Cleaning Up the Act

**-Cleaning up the Act-**

I'm not sure if Robin is more surprised or upset to find a villainess in our midst. When we come down stairs, he's standing in the middle of our living room, his arms clasped behind his back as he stares out of the glass wall overlooking the bay. He turns as the door slides open, his eyebrows meeting over the black mask he wears, and I swear I can hear his teeth grinding together as his jaw tenses.

"Good to see you again, Bat Boy!" Jinx chirps pleasantly, holding her arms out as though she's balancing on a beam and pirouetting gracefully. "Love what you guys have done with the place."

Since her last visit, we had had to replace the entire living room and renovate the east wing of the tower.

"I'm glad you dropped by," Robin growls, fingers clenching into fists. "After your little prison break the other night, the entire city is gunning for your arrest."

"That's not why she's here."

His temper spikes—even more so when the hexer plops down on one of our brand new sofas and props her feet up on the glass surface of our new coffee table.

"Come again?

"Where are the others? I hate repeating myself."

He's not going to have any teeth in his head at this rate. "Beast Boy ran through here a minute ago, babbling about something and Cy's tinkering in his lab upstairs. Star's waiting for me outside. We were supposed to go to the mall today."

"Can you go get her?"

"Big news, huh?"

I ignore the villainess and push past Robin to head for the lab.

* * *

I'm rounding the corner in the hallway just outside of the room Cyborg has claimed in order to have a place to tinker with his gadgets in peace when I hear hushed arguing. It seems the room isn't fulfilling its purpose because the cyborg sounds irritated:

"I'm busy, man. I don't have time for this."

"I'm serious, dude! I saw Jinx and Raven, and-and they were—"

'_What…?'_

_/ I reach out and cup Jinx's cheek, flinching at the unexpected warmth of her skin. It's like she's on fire and I do my best to contain that blaze, the fine hairs on the back of my neck standing on end as I seek out the source of the wild outpouring of energy that is powerful enough to warp her physical appearance._

"_I need you to focus."_

_She's still as a stone, her eyes still wide from the glimpse of herself that she had seen in my mirror. _

"_Breathe."_

_Her eyes—huge pupils with black where the whites should have been—meet with mine and it's then that I realize that we're far too close. /_

'_Oh…'_

That had to have looked bad—especially to a young man with a penchant for overdramatic behavior.

I step through the wall, my entire body going cold in that brief instant, and emerge from the other side, a little thrill of satisfaction going through me at the spike of terror I sensed from the both of them.

"We were _what _exactly?"

Both boys pale, their eyes wide.

"R-Raven!?"

I look from Beast Boy to Cyborg, allowing my disapproval to burn in my gaze. "Living room. Now."

"Yes, ma'am!"

…

"Jinx will be staying here for a while."

There's a stunned silence. Then,

"_What?_"

"Are you crazy?"

"She's a criminal!"

"Glorious! More friends!"

I raise a hand and the chatter dies down, the others eyeing me as though I had sprouted a second head. I suppose wanting to take a criminal in as a housemate does constitute a good reason to think someone has gone insane.

"Look, I'm not happy about this either, but I'm…" I pause, considering my options. Telling them the entire truth is out of the question—mortals are so fragile. "… Acting as a parole officer for the time being. She's agreed to clean up her act."

Jinx snorts and I send her a quelling look as Robin squints suspiciously and the others gape.

"… And you've cleared this with the DA?"

"Of course."

Inwardly, I groan. The Boy Wonder would follow up on my claims… Looks like my weekend will be spent covering my tracks.

* * *

"Bahahahahahaha!"

Jinx looks at my flat expression and laughs even harder, going so far as to wipe tears from the corners of her eyes.

I'm still not sure of the joke.

"Care to share what you find so funny?"

She gestures to the grand marble halls. "Can't you see it?" A glance around the Jump City Court House doesn't turn up anything particularly funny and she seems entertained by that as well. "The irony, Gloomy."

"Stop calling me that."

The hexer rolls her eyes. "Look around you. There are big beefy officers all over. I, a wanted criminal—charged for crimes in over 30 districts and several states—am walking right past them at the side of a _Teen Titan_—you know, a hero sworn to stop all evil?—without fear of arrest."

She had a point.

I stop in front of a set of mahogany doors with a fancy gold plaque and Jinx nearly crashes into me. "We're here."

Jump City's district attorney is a foreboding black man who, like Robin, has a healthy sense of right and wrong. That being said, the moment Jinx enters his chambers, I sense a spike of mistrust and fear and quickly assure the judicator, "Judge Mathers, I'm sure you already know Jinx."

She gives a little wave and the man blinks. "Miss Raven… What is she doing here?"

"I have a proposal for you."

**A few hours later…**

"You sure are one smooth operator, Gloomy."

Telling her to stop calling me that is evidently a waste of breath.

"It's like you knew all the right things to say to get him to agree with you… How'd you do that?"

"I'm an empath."

Jinx steps around a light post. "Yeah, I know that. But what exactly does it mean?"

She nearly crashes into a pedestrian and I grab her arm, yanking her out of the way. "It means I can sense and sometimes sway the emotions of others."

"Only sometimes?"

"I try not to. It's an invasion of privacy and can ultimately have a lasting effect on their psyche."

"Has that ever happened before?"

I stop mid-step and whirl to face her. "I'm not a huge fan of questions."

She holds her hands up in a placating gesture. "I get it. Geez."

We resume walking, the crowd thickening as we enter the heart of the city, and Jinx nearly has to jog to keep up despite her longer legs.

"I'm not used to seeing you out of uniform… Or, er, that skin tone."

I'm wearing one of Cyborg's new toys: a bracelet that cloaks the user's appearance depending on pre-programmed settings. It's still experimental, so short runs like this are invaluable. This flavor is a thick blue hoodie and long black leggings with ankle high combat boots and a long, violet scarf. It also includes a nice flesh tone and a slight alteration to my features so that civilians wouldn't recognize me.

"I could say the same with you."

The metahuman's pink hair has been twisted into twin buns and she's dressed for the weather as well: a thick black winter dress with a crème coloured muff over sheer black stockings and cloth boots. Her skin is tanner than mine, though the device hasn't done much to alter her feline features.

"I'm telling you… I could get used to this whole do-gooder thing. You really do have all the best stuff."

We stop at a crosswalk, our breath coming out as vapor with every word. Jump City will soon be covered in flurries of white with the way ice crystals drift gently from the dark clouds overhead.

"You talk a lot."

"And you talk too little." She grins, her eyes lighting up as they chance upon a hand-painted sign. "I'm starved. Can we get something to eat?" Without waiting for a response, she loops her arm through mine and drags me towards a squat, homey looking establishment. "I love this place!"

…

"We need to head back down to the courthouse to get your papers."

The pinkette starts to say something through a mouthful of free bread, but seems to think better of it and chews slowly instead, expression thoughtful. She swallows. "What am I, a pedigree pooch?"

I chuckle despite myself. "Something like that." Wild eyes peer closely at me, almost as though she's searching for something, and I arch an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"You should do that more often. It's kind of cute."

"… What?"

"Laugh." She gestures airily with her fork. "It softens your features—makes you seem less like you subsist on dreams and small children."

Rather than respond, I turn back to the menu and, after a moment, realize that I can't read a thing on it. "Jinx, what in the world is this?"

"Hm? Oh! This is an Arabic place—the only one in the city. It's locally owned and the food is amazing."

I arch an eyebrow. "You understand Arabic?"

"Duh. H.I.V.E Academy required us to take several foreign languages as a part of a push to conquer places worldwide."

"Lovely," I respond sarcastically.

Jinx shrugs. "If you're going to do something, do it right." She then turns to the waiter and says something in Arabic, gaining a startled look and a brilliant smile.

"Your pronunciation is excellent, miss. What can I get you?"

As they chatter amicably, I take the moment to study my would-be charge: the girl's fey, cat-like features are difficult to mask even with Cyborg's fancy gadgets, and the crafty, almost teasing smile that curves pale lips gives me a curious feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I don't know what it is about the metahuman, but this… _curiosity _is becoming the bane of my existence.

"Raven."

I start, my mind returning from its little break in time to see both Jinx and the waiter staring at me from across the table. "What?"

She shakes her head and tells him something else, giggling at whatever he says in return and giving him a little wave when he walks away.

When I frown suspiciously, she winks. "Don't worry about it. Where'd you go just now?"

I shrug, allowing my gaze to wander. For such a small place, the restaurant is rather packed. "What were you two so friendly about?"

"Jealous?"

I roll my eyes and she grins. "I ordered you some lamb tangine. I don't eat meat myself, so I got the fish."

"You… Don't eat meat?"

"Geez, you act as though I just admitted to murdering cute, young animals and keeping their faces as trophies."

I shake my head, once again unsure of how to respond to the rather imaginative thief.

…

My dish is full of meat and vegetables and it's not until I take that first bite that I realize how hungry I am. I close my eyes, chewing slowly and sighing happily as the mixture of flavours washes over my taste buds.

"Mm…"

There's the clatter of silverware across from me and I open my eyes: Jinx has dropped her fork, though she doesn't really seem to notice because her eyes are wide, jaw hanging slightly open. "Uh…"

"What is it?"

"Geez, Raven, you really get into it, huh?" I stare and she tilts her head. "Wh-what?"

"You finally called me by my name."

I sense a confusing twist of emotions—hope, disappointment, worry, and… tenderness?—and the girl averts wild pink eyes. "So what?"

"_**I hate that you make me feel this way…"**_

'… _Huh?'_

Once again that's Jinx's voice even though she's sitting right across from me and I don't seen her lips move. Her expression is wistful—as though she's lost in thought.

"Jinx?"

"Yes?" The smile that curves her lips doesn't quite reach her eyes.

"Nothing…"

* * *

"Thank you, Judge Mathers."

The man holds the document just out of my reach. "I'm not entirely sure what's going on, but I trust that you know what you're doing."

My outstretched arm freezes, uncertainty making me shift from my heels to the balls of my feet. "You can trust me, sir."

"I know." He looks thoughtful despite his words. "I can't help but wonder who will affect whom more."

I tilt my head. "What do you mean?"

He chuckles. "Something's different about you. I can't quite put my finger on it, but…"

"…" Is he suggesting that my time with Jinx has… Changed me? That's ridiculous.

"You keep that girl out of trouble."

I nod and recede into the shadows, my powers enveloping me in darkness.

I plan on it.

**-End Chapter-**


	6. Run Away

**-Run Away-**

Breathe—that's all she wants me to do.

In... Out... In...

...

"This is mind-numbingly boring."

Her eyes don't open, though her faint chanting stops. "Good. That means you're doing it right."

I sigh and twist around, throwing my legs over the back of the sofa. Even upside down, her overly serious visage is dour. "And can we do something about my living conditions? Sleeping on this sofa is cruel and unusual punishment. Not to mention murder on my back."

She opens one eye, fixes me with a dark look. "Would you prefer a prison cell?"

Touché.

Still, this regimen of meditation, community service, and staying clear of old accomplices was driving me up the wall. At least my new housemates—with the exception of that jerk, Robin—were warming up to me.

Speak of the Devil...

"Friends!" I can practically hear the smile on Starfire's face as she approaches. "Wonderful

! I have been searching for you."

Whatever the alien had wanted us for, I'll never know because Raven said something under her breath and, all at once, we're sinking through the floor and into the room below.

...

I barely make it to the garbage can next to the door before I upchuck everything that I had eaten for breakfast that morning.

Mm... Second-hand oatmeal.

Raven actually seems apologetic as she crosses the room and rests a hand on my back, muttering, "I probably should have warned you, but I really needed to get out of there."

The clammy sensation of becoming intangible... The very thought makes me shiver, my stomach writhing in protest. "Why's that?" I ask, more to distract myself than out of curiosity.

"Star's been trying to get me to go on this shopping trip of hers for a week now. Trust me, you don't want to get sucked into that."

"I guess I should thank you for rescuing me, then." I look around the room: we appear to have landed in a library of some sort, a collection of tomes quite unlike the foreboding leather-bound ones in Raven's room.

It also appears we've disturbed the Boy Wonder who's sitting at a desk farthest in the back, glaring at us over a huge stack of papers. He purses his lips, eyebrows drawing together over his black mask, and I wave cheerily.

"Hey there, Bat Boy. What're you up to?"

His expression becomes even more disapproving (if that's possible). "None of your business." He turns his attention to his teammate—as though I'm beneath him—and I bristle. "Don't forget that we have practice later, Raven."

She nods and I can tell from the slight downward quirk of the corners of her lips that this hadn't been the first reminder.

Oddly enough, it's getting easier and easier to read her.

"Practice?"

"Combat practice," she explains, cutting off whatever negative thing Robin opens his mouth to say.

"Sounds like fun."

"Absolutely not."

Raven arches an eyebrow. "Why not?"

He grits his teeth, the vein in his temple throbbing. By my professional opinion, he'll have a heart attack by his early 20's if he doesn't pull that stick out of his ass. "Can I talk to you in private?"

* * *

Sitting by the sidelines isn't really my style, but I'm (grudgingly) obeying Raven's command to sit this one out.

That doesn't stop a wave of misfortune from tripping up Robin and sending him smashing head-first through one of the cardboard figures that, alongside fire hazards, razor sharp saw blades, and electric fields, inhabit the Titans' obstacle course while I try really, really hard not to laugh.

Naturally, I fail.

The Boy Wonder shoots me a dirty look, but doesn't comment as he rights himself and does a series of stretches, his team patiently waiting for... What?

The expectant tension in the air has _me_ fidgeting impatiently, eager to see just what my sworn 'enemies' are capable of. Given my living situation, the title seems silly now.

Then, he says it: "Titans, _GO_!"

Two things happen at once: the deathtrap of metal and varying elements comes to life and his team launches into action, soon becoming a blur of motion as they spin, roll, and leap out of the way of impending danger.

It's actually quite interesting to watch their varying approaches:

Starfire uses both her brute strength and her sleek, aerodynamic frame to disable the machines and avoid gouts of flame and walls of electricity. She even goes so far as to shielding her teammates from the searing heat, placing herself right in danger's path in order to ensure their safety. Apparently she's completely flame retardant because she emerges without even a trace of ash on her.

Robin follows up right behind the red-head, wielding the titanium staff he usually slings around and using it to vault over a water hazard—just out of reach of the snapping jaws of a huge shark—in order to reach out and get snatched up by the claws of a huge pteradactyle.

Beast Boy releases a wild cry as he dips slightly with his teammate's weight, gaining altitude despite the burden and dropping him off on a segment of rubber tiling that isn't charged with electricity; he wheels away, trading forms mid-turn in favor of the long, lean form of a cheetah. I'm confused by the way he bounces safely to the ground and begins to run around in huge circuits around a pillar of flame.

It's only when the sky begins to darken that I realize what this is all about—the heat, the high speed winds, the churning waters…

A storm is brewing.

"Execute attack pattern sigma!"

All at once, the four other Titans round on Raven who, to her credit, doesn't even hesitate before throwing up a wall of inky energy to deflect a barrage of explosive disks from Robin, simultaneously ducking under Starfire's starbolts. Her eyes burn with an unholy light and the sky splits open, unleashing a curtain of water that drenches the Titan Tower and nothing else, lightning brightening the horizon for a brief instant, powerful enough to make Jump City's lights flicker.

I'm actually impressed.

Cyborg's Sonic Cannon hums ominously and his expression is grim as he jumps high, his feet leaving dents in the concrete, and releases a war cry as he hurtles towards the empath, a huge, blue line of his unique sound energy carving a path of destruction before him; the heat alone makes me step back nervously, under the protective cover of the awning curving out over the side entrance to the tower.

When Beast Boy becomes a grizzly bear—700lbs of muscle and carnality—my heart skips a worried beat, my throat clenching even as my eyes widen at the sight of a diminutive young woman going hand-to-, er, _paw _with such a creature and overpower it.

"**I will not be defeated."**

I blink, startled, but the others with the exception of Raven are too busy peeling themselves off of the drenched grass from their recent expulsion from the obstacle course to identify the mysterious, invisible speaker.

It seems even the half demon has her limits, though, because she eventually messes up, missing just one half-step in this deadly waltz and taking a starbolt straight to the kisser. She reels and her friends swarm her like a pack of wild dogs.

In the chaos, I catch a glimpse of Robin smashing his fist into the purplette's stomach; hear the solid impact and the way she gasps for air.

I know they don't mean her any real harm, but… My temper spikes—a side-effect of caring too much, combined with my own deeply rooted problems—and I step forwards, fuchsia tendrils wending around my wrists as the ground beneath the boy cracks open.

"Jinx, _no_!"

Her eyes are glowing, outstretched hand burning with the same energy as she tries to rescue the Boy Wonder…

Our powers meet in a spectacular, chaotic display of lights and sound that dwarfs even the storm.

_/_ _I find myself_ _surrounded by shadow, unable to move forward or even lift a hand._

_Then, the yawning darkness is interrupted by a single, indigo flame that bobs inconspicuously some yards away. Before I even realize that I've moved, I'm reaching out, grasping at the flickering light source._

_It's strangely cool to the touch. _

_Several other flames flicker _

"_**Let… Me… OUT!" **__The last word is bellowed with enough force to rattle me to the very bone and a huge, crimson flame flares up, extinguishing the other flames and heating the room to super nova temperatures._

"_Never." The voice that leaves my mouth is not mine, but Raven's. "You can control me no longer."_

_The inferno whirled, sucking the air from my lungs and I stumble backwards, hissing with pain as four glowing eyes appear in its center and my temples throb._

"_**You bear my mark, girl. It is only a matter of time before you give in to your demons."**__/_

When my eyes open, it feels as though my temples are going to split in two.

"You shouldn't have seen that." Raven's breathing is ragged, as though she had just run a marathon. Or as if whatever I had seen—a memory?—had somehow rattled the otherwise stoic teen.

I couldn't really make sense of it, but she sure as hell had.

Before I can ask what's shaken her so badly, she turns towards the edge of the building and, without another word, her powers envelope her in the shadowy form of a bird of prey that soars off into the approaching night.

* * *

I've never been very good at following rules… I suppose that was what ultimately made me decide to live a life of crime.

I've never been good at holding onto relationships with others either, which is why I'm shocked to find myself stealing away in the dead of night to go and visit Gizmo and Mammoth.

…

By now, I've become an expert at operating on autopilot—at allowing my feet to lead me wherever my errant, whimsical thoughts lead me.

Like bad luck, my thoughts are unpredictable and uncontrollable. I can't operate any other way.

It's dark, but my uniquely-shaped pupils allow me to see through it to the creatures that hide under its cover: drug dealers, pimps and prostitutes, strays. My footsteps don't make a sound on the cool pavement and that makes them even warier when I come into sight.

"Where've ya been, traitor?"

The alley seems deserted… Until I look up and see Gizmo suspended between the brick walls that make it by the mechanical arachnid arms reaching out of his ever-present backpack. He's above the single street light making a pathetic attempt to dispel the dimness, but he lowers himself to eye-level and I actually wince at the rage on his face.

"Hey, kid. Where's the big guy?"

"Fuck off. We had to move headquarters because you can't be trusted any longer."

"Are you kidding me? _I'm _the one who got you two out of prison!"

"And now look at ya: sucking up to the Teen Terribles, following that goth chick around like a lost puppy. What's next, saving the world from the 'scum' you once called your friends?"

Without thinking, I lash out, striking him across the cheek and my powers follow up, causing his machinery to malfunction and throw its creator to the grimy concrete. He rolls a short distance before coming to a stop and I move towards him, the apology already swelling in my constricting throat—

"Don't. Just fucking… Don't." He struggles to his feet, swaying unsteadily for a moment as he clutches at the wall. "Get out of here, Kitty. You don't belong. Not with us."

That… Hurt.

Once again, my feet carry me away to… Wherever. Only, this time, at a much faster pace.

…

I suppose I should be more surprised when I run into Raven just outside of Jump City limits, sitting on a boulder, staring off into the sunrise, but somehow I feel as though I had been drawn to her.

As though my meeting her here is inevitable.

"What do you want?" she asks when I plop down next to her.

"Nothing." I can't help the odd, pleading note in my voice and she looks away from the golden-red halo as though noticing me for the first time and indigo orbs sweep over me searchingly.

"… You're upset."

"It's nothing."

She nods, letting the matter go without comment, and turns her attention back to the beautiful sight before her. We're both silent for a moment, contemplating our own private thoughts, and her communicator trills.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" I ask when its cry for attention goes unanswered for a time.

"No."

Eventually, it goes quiet and the lull resumes.

"Hey, Gloomy?"

"Mm?"

"…"

"You can talk to me." It's the closest thing to an invitation that I'm going to get and my heart flip-flops curiously.

"I… Have you ever felt like you don't belong anywhere? Like everyone and everything has its own place in the world—except you?"

"All the time." Her response is frank, flat, but I catch the way something dark flickers over her features.

"Sorry."

"For?"

"Earlier. I upset you and you ran off." The very thought of the vision I had glimpsed chills me to the bone.

She shakes her head. "It wasn't you."

"What was that, anyway?"

"Nothing."

"'You can talk to me'," I tease.

Raven chuckles. "I prefer to leave the past in the past."

So that _was _a memory. "That demon… It was you, wasn't it?"

A blink. "I think it's about time we went home."

'_Home…' _For some reason, the thought makes me grin and I reach out to grasp the hand she offers to help me up. I've never really had a place to call home.

Her skin is warm, soft, and I instinctively grip onto her, my heart beating fast.

"Okay."

This girl… What is she doing to me?

**-End Chapter-**


	7. Chaos

**-Chaos-**

What is this girl doing to me?

Robin is livid when we finally get back to the Tower, but his ire does nothing to dim the odd positivity that gives me a lighter-than-air feeling as I escort the villainess across the living room and into the kitchen.

She's only been here for around a week and this is the first time she's consented to eating with the rest of the team who is currently seated around the kitchen table, arguing loudly, mouths full, as they scoop huge servings of food onto their plates and into their faces.

The Boy Wonder slides into his seat next to Starfire and returns to his much more reasonable portion, shaking his head impatiently when the red-head gives him a questioning look and rests a hand on his arm.

"Look who decided to join us!" Cyborg grins, reaching for the pile of steaming meat tactically positioned within his reach. "And just in time for my special BBQ platter."

My stomach howls, reminding me that it has been a while since I have last eaten and I move to sit in the chair he gestures to. That leaves Jinx with a seat next to Beast Boy, who frowns distastefully at me as I dig in.

"Problem?"

She shakes her head. "How can you eat that?"

"I know, right?!" the green-skinned teen cries.

Cyborg snorts. "Easy. I pick it up and put it in my mouth. Chew, swallow, digest, and sh—"

"Is that entirely necessary?" I interrupt before he can complete his inappropriate sentence.

He guffaws and Beast Boy joins in. I'm honestly surprised when Jinx does too and the lighthearted sound makes my heart give a curious little start.

"Man… Ya'll are crazy." Just like that, it seems she's completely accepted by my teammates (sans Robin) and Beast Boy beams at his unexpected new ally in his war on animal injustice.

The way the small, bemused smile that Jinx gives him in return makes me feel is confusing to say the least.

* * *

"Azarath… Metrion… Zinthos…"

There are footsteps—so soft that I just barely catch them. There's only one person who's that light on their feet.

"Azarath… Metrion… Zinthos…"

She stops moving and, for a moment, the quiet sound of her breathing lulls me into an even more relaxed state.

"Azarath… Metrion… Zinthos…"

"I'm curious," she says at last.

I open an eye. "That's an understatement." She grins and I sigh, unfolding my legs and lowering myself gently to the bed. She shouldn't even be here—in my room; my personal space—right now, but somehow her presence doesn't bother me as much as it should. "What now?"

"That… Thing I saw the other day. Can you tell me more about it?"

I bristle, instinctively rebelling against the thought of sharing anything of myself with anyone else. "No."

"But—"

"Absolutely not."

"Raven." Her expression is deadly serious. "Please?"

I don't understand her curiosity. Sure, many have harassed me—tried to pick my brain in order to understand the roots of my powers and their seemingly nonexistent limit—but none have seemed particularly interested in _me_.

For some reason, I get the feeling that the villainess isn't interested in my powers, but the person wielding them, and…

Something warmth swells beneath my breast.

Finally, I say, "It would be easier if I showed you."

…

I trace a finger absentmindedly over the complicated pattern on the handle of my mirror, feeling out the unique energy slumbering within, and gesture for Jinx to sit next to me. She does so without question, her long leg brushing up against mine as she crosses them.

"Ready."

I sincerely doubt that, but I nod and the mirror gives off a brilliant flash of light, sucking us into the world within.

* * *

"Where are we this time?"

I turn to look at Jinx—she's fidgeting anxiously, her arms crossed over her chest—then back to the stone walls and dim, flickering torches surrounding us.

"My mind."

She shivers. "Geez… I knew you were gloomy, but—"

"This is only a small part of it," I interrupt. "Enough to answer your question."

"Oh…" I step past her, into the flickering shadows, and she follows after a moment's hesitation, hurrying down the steps two at a time to keep up. "What's the rush?"

"We'll probably be thrown out."

"By who…? This is _your _mind."

"**You'd like to think that, wouldn't you, Raven?" **

At that resonant double timbre, the villainess latches onto my arm, a spike of pure, unadulterated fear filling the air even though her voice is steady when she asks, "What the hell was that?"

I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to comfort her.

"Wrath."

I continue on, Jinx still pressed against my side, and we come to a metal door covered in ancient writing and sealed with a huge padlock. The instant I'm in range with my most deadly emotion, red runes light up all over my torso and arms and two sets of eyes appear in the darkness beyond the bars at the top of the door in response.

"**You've returned."**

The pinkette flinches, her grip tightening and I…

Well, I shouldn't, but I reach out a tendril of magic and nudge the negative cloud of emotion surrounding her, uplifting them just a bit.

She gasps. "Did you just—"

"**And who is this?"**

Red scraps of fabric leak from between the bars like trails of blood and I throw an arm out, shielding my companion behind the blue of my cape.

"Jinx, this is Wrath. The embodiment of all of the violence, hatred, and anger within me. I locked it here because it was tampering with my control over my powers."

That hadn't been easy.

Wrath scoffs. **"What good is control when it only dulls your true potential?"**

"So there are other embodiments like it?"

"Mhmm."

She takes a step forward, her curiosity getting the best of her. "What I saw… That was it being sealed away?"

"For good."

Wrath's eyes shift as though it's tilting its head and I get the feeling that it hasn't heard a word of our conversation. **"I sense power beyond a mere mortal."**

That's… Interesting. I hadn't actually been able to classify the level of power I had sensed from my mysterious new housemate, but that was a step in the right direction. Cutting out the part of me that made me the daughter of Trigon severely weakened my powers, but it was the price I had to pay to keep myself from going mad with bloodlust and destroying the world as I knew it.

That was simply what demons did.

"What does that mean?" Pink eyes are wilder than usual, a sign that her mind is working hyperactively to cope with the strangeness of the situation.

"**Approach me, girl."**

"Don't."

Crimson orbs flick towards me and I hiss, dropping to one knee and clutching my head. The Chakram in the center of my forehead burns viciously and I can only reach towards Jinx's back as, ensnared, she takes hesitant steps towards the caged being.

I desperately try to get to my feet, but it feels as though my head is going to split in two and I can't even manage to cry out to her.

"**Tell me, child, what is your power?"**

"Bad luck," she answers softly.

A single strip of red cloth stretches towards her, the end of it frayed—resembling fingers. One such faux finger strokes the hexer's cheek and she goes stock still.

"**Show me."**

Instantly, the cramped hallway is flooded with fuchsia light and Jinx's darkens, thin white tendrils of ink coiling along her arms and dripping down the sides of her face. The whites of her eyes go black, the pupils expanding to twice their normal size and she growls—a low, guttural sound that rocks structure to its foundation.

Wrath's eyes narrow and the red cloth bursts into flame, turning immediately to ash that swirls around the room in the whirlwind of cool air that encircles the two.

"**What is this…?"**

Jinx's shoulders shake and it takes me a moment to realize that she's laughing. _**"Chaos." **_

That voice… I've heard it before somewhere. The splitting pain in my head prevents me from pinpointing the memory exactly, but I get the feeling that it's incredibly important that I do.

"**Impossible…"**

The wind picks up, howling like a trapped beast, and I'm pushed back until I'm flush against the cold stone wall. I have to squint to see Jinx and Wrath: they're locked in a stare-off, the former glowing pink and the latter glowing red. Everywhere their auras touch disintegrates, returned to the intangible form it began with before my powers breathed life into them.

Jinx turns toward me, a manic grin curving her lips. _**"Run."**_

…

Blink.

I shift and rub my temple, the debilitating ache dulling now that I'm no longer buried within my own psyche.

A groan escapes me and I let my head fall forward.

"Are you okay?" A gentle hand rests on my shoulder and I flinch at the visible spark that travels along my arm from the point of contact. "Holy—! What was that?"

I reach out and grasp her chin, angling her face so that her eyes meet mine: something swirls within them—something terrifying in its intensity—and I groan again, relinquishing my grip and raking a hand through my hair. "Whatever's living inside of you has awakened. At the rate it's gaining power, we'll have to find a way to destroy it completely before it destroys you."

She pales and my heart throbs guiltily. Without thinking, I reach out and take her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze.

"I'll figure this out. I just need a little more time."

Wild pink orbs flick to our joined hands and I sense a flood of emotions—curiosity, fear, hesitance, and, most potently, happiness—as she averts her gaze and bites her lip. "Thanks, Raven."

The silence that stretches between us is far too heavy and I clear my throat, feeling uncharacteristically nervous for the first time in…

Well, _ever_.

"Today's going to go down in the history books."

She smiles and I sense her gratefulness for my change of subject. "Why's that?"

"You called me by name. Twice."

"Oh yeah… Don't get used to it." Jinx chuckles and her fingers entwine with mine. The simple gesture sets off little red flags in my head, but it also makes my heart pound against the inside of my chest like a bird attempting to escape the confines of a metal cage. It's a disconcerting sensation and my breathing quickens. "Are you okay?"

I nod, quickly clamping down on the sudden, unexpected, _dangerous_ upsurge of emotion, but it's too late: my bed lifts into the air, glowing an inky black, and books fly from the shelves lining the walls, wrapped in that same dark energy.

I need space to breathe.

Without another word I wave my hand, pushing the villainess out of my room and slamming the door shut behind her. The lack of her presence allows me to calm the runaway pace of my heart and the suspended objects return to their rightful places.

"Raven?" There's a gentle knock and I close my eyes, clenching my jaw to silence the apology that swells in my throat. "Did I do something wrong?"

"I need to be alone right now."

Normally, this was the part where the person on the other side of the door argues with me, but the pinkette just releases a soft sigh. "Okay…"

Those quiet footsteps fade away shortly thereafter and I sigh, drawing my hood up over my head.

Why does it feel as though I'm the one who's done something wrong here?

* * *

"Raven!"

Happy tackles me to the warm grass and, for once, I don't snap at her. Instead, I hug her back, burying my face in her throat and she squeaks.

"Oh no… What's wrong?"

Several more forms appear at the edges of the meadow, lingering hesitantly as a result of the confusing maelstrom of thoughts whirling violently around my head.

"I, uh…" It hurts to think these words, much less say them. "I really don't want to be alone right now."

Happy's eyes are huge within the shadow of her pink hood and a hushed murmur goes through the group of on-looking Ravens.

"What about Jinx?" The horizon darkens and the girl cowers against me, trembling like a solitary leaf in a storm. "I don't understand..."

Me neither.

Another Raven steps forward, this one wearing a pristine white cloak. The hood is drawn up around her head, obscuring her features from view. "Perhaps I can explain."

This is the aspect of myself that I am most familiar with. "Control."

"This Jinx girl is important to us, Raven. You're trying to lock her out like you do with everyone else and I believe that's an enormous mistake."

I scoff and Happy giggles. "I like Jinx."

"As do I," the white-clad Raven agrees.

The murmur is one of agreement this time and I bristle. "Whether you like her or not, it doesn't matter. She's the enemy. Once I figure out how we can get her powers under control, she'll go back to crime and I'll go back to stopping her."

Thinking about it now made my heart ache.

"The answer may be right in front of you," Control says cryptically and somehow it feels as though she isn't talking about just Jinx. "What better way to control something than to confront it?"

Normally I'd trust her word without question, but things have changed since the hexer started living in the Tower—perhaps more than I had originally thought or even been willing to acknowledge.

I hum thoughtfully, crossing my arms over my chest, and Happy prods my side. "You're so stubborn."

"She always has been." The hood falls back to reveal features that are similar to mine in every way with the exception of the white eye patch that covers up her left eye. The right eye is the clear, sharp yellow colour of a predator's and I instinctively avert my gaze when she looks at me. She hadn't always worn an eye patch. "We have never experienced such a disturbance over any one person before, Raven. Emotions that I have not yet met are present and they look upon this girl with favour. You would be wise to heed what your heart tells you."

The heart… The bane of my existence.

A quiet roar travels through the gathered Ravens as they discuss their stand on the subject and I grimace, unaccustomed to both the number of emotions gathered and the loudness with which they voiced their opinions now that they are able to.

Jinx was right—this is chaos.

**-End Chapter-**


End file.
